Rebecca and Zaire (Manchester Pack Book 1)

by Christina Escue

  “You are going to be the death of me,” I tell her in a strained voice. “I want a repeat every night for the rest of my life.”

  “I think I can handle that,” she whispers and grins.

  “I can handle anything as long as you’re beside me,” I tell her and kiss her knuckles again.

  “Me too,” she responds and kisses my knuckles before laying our joined hands on her leg and laying her head on my shoulder.

  The rest of the flight goes by with us talking about the future, and when we land, I grab both of our carry-on bags, which contain everything we will need over the next few days, and we exit the plane. Once in the airport, I pull her toward the car rental counter.

  “We have a car waiting, and then we’ll get something to eat before we head toward Thomas. Greg is waiting for us to arrive,” I say, and she nods, but doesn’t say anything. “You okay, baby?”

  “Yeah,” she says, but looks around us. When her eyes land on the restroom sign, she pulls her hand from mine and makes a beeline for the door to the lady’s room.

  I chuckle as she disappears through the door. My sweet she-wolf, my bad-ass warrior who is more than I’d ever imagined, is still embarrassed when she has to use the restroom.

  I take a seat on the bench between the restroom doors, and pull my phone from my pocket. I check through the messages I got while on the plane, then look at the door Rebecca disappeared through. She’s been in there longer than usual, and I start to feel antsy.

  Rising to my feet, I walk to the door and open it an inch. “Rebecca?”

  “Give me a minute,” she calls back.

  I go to shut the door, as the smell of vomit hits my nose. Pushing it open further, I see Rebecca standing at a sink and splashing water on her face.

  “You okay?” I ask, not caring that other people could be inside with her.

  “Yes,” she answers and glares at me. “I will be out in a minute.”

  “Baby,” I say softly, letting my concern fill my voice.

  “Zaire,” she responds and looks pointedly at the two stalls behind her with closed doors. “I will be out in a minute, baby.”

  Sighing, I step back and let the door close behind me. My Rebecca, my mate, had been sick, and I have no clue why.

  When the door opens less than a minute later, Rebecca steps out and I wrap my arms around her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” she responds and tugs away a little so she can look up at me. “One minute I was fine, then the next I felt like I was going to be sick. I barely made it into the stall before everything I’ve eaten today came up.”

  “How are you feeling now?”

  “Better,” she answers and smiles softly at me. “But, I need my toothbrush from my bag.”

  I smile and fish her toiletry bag from her backpack, and hand it to her.

  She disappears through the restroom door again but is back a minute later with a soft smile on her face.

  “You okay?” I ask again and she nods as she slips the clear bag back into her backpack.

  “Let’s go pick up the car so we can get this over with,” she tells me, and I take her hand.

  We walk to the car rental counter in silence, and twenty minutes later we walk out into the cool September West Virginia air.

  “Want to get something to eat before we leave the city?” I ask and she shakes her head.

  “You can, but I just want a bottle of water, and maybe some crackers. I really don’t want a repeat of that mess.”

  “Okay baby,” I respond as I unlock the black SUV I reserved when we first planned this trip last week. My parents and Jill were originally going to come with us, but Jill was having really bad morning sickness and my mom decided it would be best for them to stay home. “Do you mind if I grab something to eat?”

  “Of course not,” she tells me, smiling.

  Once we’re inside, I pull out of the airport parking lot and follow the signs to a string of fast food restaurants settled into a small strip just before the interstate.

  I pull into a gas station, and go inside for Rebecca’s water and a snack for her. I grab her a couple different things of crackers and a few protein bars before paying and heading back to the SUV.

  After grabbing myself a burger from a popular fast food joint, we hit the road.

  We travel in silence as we eat and take in the scenery around us.

  “Pull over,” Rebecca says after about half an hour on the road.

  “Baby?” I ask as I ease to the side of the road, and pull into the grass so I can get out safely.

  She shakes her head as she opens her door and hops out. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she dashes to the trees a couple hundred feet away, and vomits loudly.

  I reach her and gently hold her hair as she vomits again. A wave of fear washes over me as she shakes from the force of her heaves.

  “I’m okay,” she mutters softly as she raises her head and looks at me. “But I think I need to see the pack doctor when we arrive.”

  “I will call ahead and let them know,” I tell her as I lead her back to the SUV.

  She reaches inside and grabs her water. Taking a swig, she swishes it in her mouth for a moment before spitting it out. She repeats this twice more before she climbs back into the seat and lays her head against the black leather. “I have no idea what’s wrong.”

  “We will find out,” I tell her as I help her click her seatbelt in place, then I secure my own before pulling back out onto the highway.

  “Yeah,” she says and closes her eyes.

  As she dozes, I call Greg and let him know where we are and that she needs to see the pack physician upon arrival.

  He assures me he’ll be waiting, then I end the call and take her small hand in mine.

  “I’m okay,” she tells me as she grips my hand gently. “I think it’s just nerves.”

  “Maybe, but I want to make sure.”

  “Me too,” she agrees then drifts off again.

  Half an hour later, I am following the GPS directions to the main pack house, and I gasp softly when the very large house comes into view.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Rebecca mutters from beside me and I glance at her. “It doesn’t look anything like a prison.”

  “That’s because it wasn’t meant to be one,” I tell her and take her hand.

  “There’s Greg, and the pack physician, Leo,” she tells me, and I narrow my eyes at the male who will be examining her.

  “Your physician is male?”

  “Or course,” she answers like it should be obvious. “Everyone in any sort of position of authority is male here.”

  “I don’t like it,” I say, and she chuckles.

  “You’ll either have to deal with it, or we can go into town and I can see the human doctor. It may be difficult to explain everything to her though.”

  “Fine,” I say and open my door. I dart around the SUV and pull her out and into my arms before she has a chance to object.

  “Well, hello there, young Rebecca,” Leo greets her with a fond smile. Up close, I can tell he is several years older than I am, maybe even older than my dad, and his hair is graying at his temples. “You have changed since I last saw you.”

  “For the better, Leo,” she answers and touches my face. “Leo, I would like for you to meet my mate, Zaire. He is the alpha of the Manchester pack in Montgomery Texas. Zaire, this is Leo. He has been the pack physician for the past twenty or so years, and was the one to deliver me when I was born. He’s always been the one male in the pack I knew I could come to for anything.”

  “Yes, and had you come to me before you left, I would have helped you,” he says sternly, and I smile a little.

  “Father would have killed you, Leo. You know that.”

  “Seeing you away from that tyrannical bastard would have been worth the risk,” he counters and my respect for the male grows instantly. “But that is in the past. What seems to be the trouble today?”

  “She’s vomited
twice since our plane landed,” I speak up and hold her a little tighter. I know she wants me to put her down, but there’s no way my beast will allow that to happen right now. “After the second time, she dozed in the car, and her scent changed for a moment. It wasn’t like she was afraid or anxious, or anything like that. It was just momentarily different.”

  “There are a few things that can cause a scent shift,” he says and looks at Rebecca. “Bring her to the clinic and we will see what we can find out.”

  I follow him to a small, stark white building, set off to the side of the main house, and walk through the door he holds open for us.

  “Lay her on the exam table, and step into the hall, please,” he says, and I growl softly.

  “Zaire,” she says quietly and lays her hand on my cheek. “I am safe with Leo. He and his mate are two of the only members of the pack who never made me feel like I was dispensable.”

  “Yeah, okay,” I tell her and lay her on the table. “I will be right outside.”

  “I will be okay,” she tells me and brushes her lips across mine. “Go talk with Greg. I will be out as soon as I can.”

  “I love you, Rebecca.”

  “And I love you, Zaire. Now go.”

  I kiss her softly again then walk from the room, closing the door softly behind me.

  “She’s safe with him,” Greg tells me, and I turn my gaze to the man who has taken over as alpha of this pack.

  “She’s safest with me,” I counter, and he nods.

  “Yes, but no one within this pack with ever harm her again,” he tells me. “If I could have gotten her away from Harmon, I would have. He treated her like property instead of his child, but everyone in the pack was too afraid of him to challenge him, myself included. When you killed him, it freed us all from his tyranny.”

  “I didn’t kill him,” I tell him, and he frowns.

  “But, if you didn’t, then how could you appoint me alpha?”

  “I didn’t do that either,” I tell him, and his frowns deepen.

  “I’m not sure I follow,” he says, and I grin. “Who killed Harmon and gave the order for me to be alpha?”

  “Rebecca,” I answer, and his jaw nearly hits the floor.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Rebecca

  I lay here as Leo examines me, and I listen to the conversation happening just on the other side of the door. I smile softly as Zaire retells the events leading to my father’s death.

  “Well, it is just as I expected,” Leo says softly as he presses on my abdomen.

  “What?” I ask, slightly afraid of what he’s going to tell me.

  “You, my dear, are with child.”

  “I’m what? How?” I ask.

  “Well,” he starts and chuckles a little. “When a male and female.”

  “I know how babies are created,” I snap and shake my head. “I’m sorry. It’s just… surprising.”

  “You’re young and healthy, and I don’t foresee any complications, but you need to see your pack’s physician as soon as you’re home,” he tells me then walks to the door. When he opens it, Zaire’s massive frame fills it and Leo takes a step back.

  “What’s wrong?” He asks, noticing the worried expression on my face.

  “You, young alpha, are going to be a father,” Leo tells him, and Zaire’s face splits in a smile so bright it lights the room.

  “A pup?” He asks then lets out a happy yelp and moves to my side. “How are you feeling, love?”

  “Shocked,” I answer honestly, and his smile dims a little. Sighing, I reach my hand up and cup his cheek. “I wasn’t planning on having a pup this soon, Zaire. I wanted more time with you, but I am not disappointed. I’m terrified.”

  “Like I already told you, you are young and healthy,” Leo reminds me, and I look up at him with narrowed eyes. “I will leave you two to talk.”

  Once he’s gone, I raise up and sit on the side of the exam table. I pull my sexy alpha closer and lay both hands on his cheeks. “Zaire, I’m happy about the pup, but I am also terrified. I was hoping to be a little older when we started expanding our family, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to love this pup.”

  “Rebecca, I’m terrified, too, but I am also over the moon happy right now. I love you more than I ever thought possible, and soon we will have a little one to love, as well.”

  “Zaire, I did not have the upbringing that you had. I am so scared I will fail this pup,” I say and lay my hand over my abdomen.

  “You could never fail,” he whispers then leans down to kiss me softly. “You will make a wonderful mother.”

  “I’m terrified, Zaire,” I tell him again, and he wraps his arms around me.

  “When we finish here, we will head back home and you can see our pack physician, but like Leo said, you are young, and you are healthy.”

  “I am young,” I tell him and pull back a little. “This baby will be born right around my nineteenth birthday, Zaire. Until I left this pack, I had never seen or done anything my father didn’t approve of. I am just discovering myself, and now I’m going to be responsible for the life of another.”

  I feel my chest start to tighten, and my breath starts coming in pants as my heart races.

  “Baby, calm down,” Zaire says and kisses my forehead as he runs his hands up and down my arms. “You’re freaking out about nothing. We are in this together, my love. We will face everything together. We are this pup’s parents, and we will do this together.”

  “I love you, Zaire,” I say and lay my head against his broad chest as my heart rate starts to slow and I work to get my breathing under control.

  “I love you, too, my she-wolf,” he responds and kisses my forehead softly. “When you’re ready, Greg wants us to meet him at the house in the library.”

  “I’m ready,” I reply and nudge him back a little so I can slide off the exam table. I slide my jeans and sneakers on then grasp his hand in mine and pull him to the door. “I will show you the only place in that house I ever truly loved.”

  Zaire lets me pull him from the room, and he keeps his hand in mine as we round the house and walk up the front walk to the large porch.

  “The place is beautiful, but a little pompous for my tastes,” he says as he looks at the stark white mansion in front of us.

  “My great-great grandfather built the original structure over a hundred years ago. His son, my great grandfather, added the South wing when he was alpha. His mate loved to read, and that wing is where the library is. The North wing was added by my grandfather,” I tell him and point to the largest wing of the estate. “If you look, all the rooms on the second and third floor have balconies that overlook the gardens. My grandmother loved her flowers, and when I was little, before she passed, we would sit on the balcony of her bedroom and talk about the different flowers we had on the estate. Five generations of Kellys have resided in this house and reigned over this pack.”

  I shake off the memories and start walking again before I get lost in the power, in the connection.

  “What happened to your grandparents?” He asks as we walk up the steps to the front porch.

  “My grandparents were older than most are when they had my father. He was the youngest of five, and the only male child. Papa had resigned himself to only having daughters, but then father came along, and he finally had the heir he’d longed for. Grandma was already well into her forties when father was born, and papa was nearly sixty. Shortly after father took over as alpha, papa had a stroke, which is uncommon for our kind, and he never fully recovered. When I was four, he decided he was tired of being a burden to the pack, and he killed himself. Grandma was never the same, and a year later, she died in her sleep.”

  “You’ve had so many losses in your life,” he says and pulls me against his chest.

  “Yes, but they are all in the past. From now on, I want to live in the present and look toward the future with you. I’m terrified about becoming a mother, but I know we will have the entire pack to
help us.”

  “And you will have this pack, as well,” Greg says from the open door and I turn to him. He’s changed in the few weeks I’ve been away. “You are the true alpha of this pack, Rebecca.”

  “I am not an alpha,” I tell him, but he shakes his head. “And the pack council would never allow it.”

  “You’d be surprised,” he mutters then turns. “Come, they’re in the library awaiting your arrival.”

  “The council is here?” I ask and take a deep breath. “The last time I met with them, they were planning my wedding to Kael, and going along with whatever ideas father had.”

  “Come,” Zaire says, letting the alpha he is seep into his words. “I am sure this meeting will be different.”

  “Because you are here beside me,” I tell him, and he smiles as he leads me into the house behind Greg.

  We walk in silence to the library, and I gasp audibly when we walk into the room and I see not only the council, but the pack elders inside.

  “Welcome home,” one of the elders greets me as he rises to his feet. “We are so very thankful you are okay, child.”

  I eye them suspiciously, and they must pick up on my hesitation because one of the council members walks to us with a smile on his face.

  “Young Rebecca, we are truly happy you are okay. When your father told us you had left for school earlier than planned, we did not believe him, and we questioned him. He, being the alpha, ordered us to drop it, so we did. We knew the instant he’d been killed, because a peace like we hadn’t felt in a decade settled over the pack, and we were at ease for the first time in a very long time.”

  “Young Greg here has informed us that you, young Rebecca, are the one who killed your father and freed us from his tyrannical rule,” another council member speaks from where he stands beside the fireplace.

  “I did,” I respond and look at them all in confusion. “He threatened my mate.”

  “Before your mother was killed, your father was a wonderful alpha, and an even better man. He was kind and loving and lead the pack like his father before him,” yet another council member states. I can’t recall any of their names, which makes me think I never knew them to begin with. “He was fair, and just, and would stand with any member of the pack if there was a threat. After her death, and the death of the pup she carried, he changed. He no longer cared what happened to the pack, and he brought strangers into our folds without proper vetting.”